JP5867186B2 - Virtual image display device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a virtual image display device such as a head mounted display that is used by being mounted on a head.

  In recent years, various types of virtual image display devices capable of forming and observing virtual images, such as a head-mounted display, have been proposed that guide image light from a display element to the eyes of an observer who is a wearer. In order to superimpose image light that forms a virtual image and external light that is light from the outside world, a see-through type is proposed (see Patent Document 1).

  In addition, although it is not the technique regarding a head mounted display, what detects the direction of a gaze and applies a detection result to input operation of a computer is known (refer patent document 2).

  In the use of a see-through type virtual image display device such as Patent Document 1, an image may be difficult to see due to the influence of external light from the background. As a countermeasure for such a case, it is conceivable to balance the external light entering the observer's eyes and the image light by making the brightness of the image light variable. However, there are various modes of use environment, for example, a situation where the room is locally bright and the observer observes a virtual image by image light in a state of facing the locally bright spot. Conceivable. In such a case, the observer's eyes react to the external light, and the perceived image light is not sufficiently bright, and as a result, the virtual image due to the image light becomes difficult to recognize. Can occur. On the other hand, the perceived image light may be too bright, making it impossible to observe the external light and failing to obtain the see-through effect. Even if the direction of the line of sight can be detected by the technique as in Patent Document 2, the situation as described above cannot always be improved immediately.

JP 2007-178941 A JP-A-6-242883

  An object of the present invention is to provide a virtual image display device that is a see-through type that superimposes image light and external light, and can adjust the image light to an appropriate brightness in accordance with the state of external light.

  In order to achieve the above object, a virtual image display device of the present invention includes (a) a virtual image forming unit that transmits external light and forms a virtual image by image light, and (b) external light according to the orientation of the virtual image forming unit. A light detection device that detects the brightness in association with the azimuth; and (c) an image light control unit that controls the image light based on information on the brightness detected by the light detection device.

  In the virtual image display device, the virtual image forming unit is a see-through type that superimposes the image light and the external light, and the image light control unit detects the brightness of the external light in association with the direction by the light detection device, The image light is controlled based on information on the detected brightness. As a result, the image light is controlled in accordance with the brightness of the external light from the direction in which the observer is facing, and an appropriate balance is achieved between the brightness of the image (virtual image) by the image light and the brightness of the image by the external light. Can be a thing. That is, the brightness can be adjusted to an appropriate brightness that makes it easy to perceive image light according to the state of external light.

  In a specific aspect of the present invention, the image light control unit partially changes the amount of image light corresponding to the irradiated region on the virtual image forming unit for each divided region. In this case, the brightness can be balanced by partially changing the light amount of the image light with respect to the local light and dark state of the external light.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the image light control unit is a backlight control unit that controls a backlight light source that generates illumination light to be image light. In this case, the brightness of the image light can be controlled by controlling the backlight light source.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, the image processing apparatus further includes a line-of-sight detection device that detects the direction of the line of sight of the observer, and the image light control unit The image light is controlled based on the information regarding brightness. In this case, since the state of the image light can be controlled according to the brightness of the external light in the direction of the line of sight of the observer, the virtual image can be observed more easily.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the line-of-sight detection device includes a component that is reflected by an observer's eye and that reverses the optical path of the image light out of the near-infrared ray that is emitted while being superimposed on the image light. It has a beam splitter that branches and a near-infrared ray detection sensor that detects the near-infrared ray branched by the beam splitter. In this case, a near-infrared ray having a wavelength outside the visible light region is used, and this is split by a beam splitter, so that the movement of the eyeball of the observer can be reliably captured without affecting the image light. The direction of the line of sight can be detected.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the light detection device changes a range in which the brightness is detected based on information on the observer's line of sight detected by the line-of-sight detection device. Here, the information regarding the line of sight means various types of information regarding the line of sight such as the direction of the line of sight and a change in the direction. In this case, it is possible to control the image light with higher priority on the brightness of the external environment beyond the line of sight of the observer.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, the light detection device includes a photodiode unit that detects the amount of external light and a lens that projects an image of the external light toward the photodiode unit. In this case, the situation of external light can be captured more reliably with a simple structure.

  In still another aspect of the present invention, in the photodetection device, the photodiode portion is configured to include a plurality of photodiode elements arranged in a two-dimensional manner, and an external light detection region is arranged as the photodiode element. Correspondingly, it is divided into multiple parts. In this case, the brightness of the external image formed by external light can be determined for each divided region.

It is a perspective view which shows the virtual image display apparatus of 1st Embodiment. (A) is a plane sectional view of the main body portion of the first display device constituting the virtual image display device, and (B) is a front view of the main body portion. It is a top view which demonstrates an example of the optical path in the optical system of a virtual image display apparatus concretely. It is a figure for demonstrating control of the image light in a virtual image display apparatus. (A) is a figure which shows an observer's observation area | region typically, (B) is a figure which shows a backlight light source typically. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of control operation. (A) is a figure which shows typically the observation area | region in the virtual image display apparatus of a modification, (B) is a figure which shows typically the observation area | region in the virtual image display apparatus of another modification. It is a top view for demonstrating the virtual image display apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating control of the image light in a virtual image display apparatus. It is a flowchart for demonstrating an example of control operation. It is a figure for demonstrating the virtual image display apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. (A) is a figure for demonstrating the virtual image display apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment, (B) is a figure for demonstrating the virtual image display apparatus of a modification. It is a figure which shows the virtual image display apparatus which concerns on 5th Embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a virtual image display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[A. Appearance of virtual image display device)
A virtual image display device 100 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a head-mounted display having an appearance like glasses, and recognizes image light based on a virtual image to an observer who is wearing the virtual image display device 100. It is possible to cause the observer to observe the outside world image with see-through. The virtual image display device 100 is added to an optical panel 110 that covers the eyes of the observer, a frame 121 that supports the optical panel 110 and the like, and cover portions 191 and 192 in front of the frame 121 to a portion from the temples 141 and 142. First and second drive units 131 and 132, and a light detection device 180 fixedly attached to the upper central portion of the optical panel 110 or the like. The optical panel 110 has a first panel portion 111 and a second panel portion 112, and both the panel portions 111 and 112 are plate-like parts integrally connected at the center. The first display device 100A in which the first panel portion 111 on the left side and the first drive unit 131 are combined in the drawing is a portion that forms a virtual image for the left eye, and functions alone as a virtual image display device. Further, the second display device 100B in which the second panel portion 112 on the right side and the second driving unit 132 in the drawing are combined is a portion that forms a virtual image for the right eye, and functions alone as a virtual image display device.

[B. Photodetector structure
The light detection device 180 of the virtual image display device 100 will be described. The light detection device 180 is an incidental device in image formation for displaying a virtual image, but is important in controlling image light to achieve both observation of an external image by see-through and observation of a virtual image by image light. It is a part that plays a role. The light detection device 180 is fixedly attached to the optical panel 110 or the like. That is, when the orientation of the optical panel 110 or the like is changed by changing the posture of the observer, the orientation of the light detection device 180 is also changed accordingly. For this reason, the light detection apparatus 180 can always detect the state of external light in the direction in front of the observer's eyes when worn. Since the virtual image display device 100 includes the light detection device 180, the brightness of the external light on the front side of the viewer's eyes can be detected in association with the orientation, and image light corresponding to the brightness of the external light based on the detection result. The amount of light can be controlled. Details of image light control will be described later. Further, it is assumed that image formation operation control in the virtual image display device 100 is performed by a control device (not shown) that can receive various commands from an observer.

[C. Display device body structure]
Hereinafter, the structure of the first display device 100A, which is a device that plays an essential role in image formation, that is, the main body of the display device will be described with reference to FIG.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first display device 100 </ b> A includes an image forming device 10 and a light guide device 20. Here, the image forming apparatus 10 corresponds to the first driving unit 131 in FIG. 1, and the light guide device 20 corresponds to the first panel portion 111 in FIG. Note that the second display device 100B shown in FIG. 1 has the same structure as the first display device 100A and is simply flipped left and right, and thus detailed description of the second display device 100B is omitted.

  In the state shown in the figure, the direction directly in front of the observer is the direction along the second optical axis AX2 that is the optical axis on the exit side of the optical system constituting the virtual image display device 100, and the second optical axis AX2 is a virtual image display. The direction from the apparatus 100 side toward the viewer side is defined as + X direction, the vertical direction where the eyes are not lined up for the viewer is defined as ± Y direction, and the horizontal direction where the eyes are lined is defined as ± Z direction.

  The image forming apparatus 10 includes an image display device 11 and a projection optical system 12. Among these, the image display device 11 operates the illumination device 31 that emits the two-dimensional illumination light SL, the liquid crystal display device 32 that is a transmissive spatial light modulation device, and the operations of the illumination device 31 and the liquid crystal display device 32. And a drive control unit 34 for controlling.

  The illuminating device 31 includes a light source 31a that generates light including three colors of red, green, and blue, and a backlight light guide unit 31b that diffuses light from the light source 31a into a light beam having a rectangular cross section. The liquid crystal display device 32 spatially modulates the illumination light SL from the illumination device 31 to form image light to be a display target such as a moving image. The drive control unit 34 includes a light source drive circuit 34a and a liquid crystal drive circuit 34b. The light source driving circuit 34a supplies electric power to the light source 31a of the lighting device 31 to emit the illumination light SL having a stable luminance. Further, the light source drive circuit 34a can adjust the amount of illumination light SL of the illumination device 31 by adjusting the power to be supplied, and thus can adjust the amount of image light GL. For example, it is possible to control to divide the emission area from the rectangular backlight light guide unit 31b and change the light amount for each divided area. The liquid crystal driving circuit 34b outputs an image signal or a driving signal to the liquid crystal display device 32, thereby forming color image light that is a source of a moving image or a still image as a transmittance pattern.

  The projection optical system 12 is a collimating lens that converts image light emitted from each point on the liquid crystal display device 32 into light beams in a parallel state.

  The light guide device 20 is formed by joining a light guide member 21 and a light transmission member 23, and constitutes a flat plate-like optical member that extends parallel to the XY plane as a whole. The light guide device 20 functions as a see-through type virtual image forming unit that transmits external light and forms a virtual image by image light by the light guide member 21 and the light transmission member 23.

  In the light guide device 20, the light guide member 21 is a trapezoidal prism-like member in plan view, and includes, as side surfaces, a first reflection surface 21 a, a second reflection surface 21 b, a third reflection surface 21 c, and a fourth reflection surface. A reflective surface 21d. The first and second reflecting surfaces 21a and 21b extend along the XY plane. The third reflecting surface 21c is inclined at an acute angle α of 45 ° or less with respect to the XY plane, and the fourth reflecting surface 21d is inclined at an acute angle β of 45 ° or less with respect to the XY surface, for example. . The first optical axis AX1 that is the optical axis that passes through the third reflecting surface 21c, that is, the optical axis on the incident side of the optical system, and the second light that is the optical axis that passes through the fourth reflecting surface 21d, that is, the optical axis on the exit side of the optical system. The axis AX2 is arranged in parallel.

  The light guide member 21 is formed of a resin material that exhibits high light transmittance in the visible range. The light guide member 21 uses a block-like member integrally molded by injection molding as a main body portion 20a. As described above, the light guide member 21 has the main body portion 20a as a base material integrally formed, but functionally, the light guide member 21 can be divided into the light incident part B1, the light guide part B2, and the light emission part B3. .

  The light incident part B1 is a triangular prism-shaped part, and includes a light incident surface IS that is a part of the first reflective surface 21a and a third reflective surface 21c that faces the light incident surface IS. The light incident surface IS is a flat surface on the back side or the viewer side for taking in the image light GL from the image forming apparatus 10 and extends perpendicularly to the first optical axis AX1 facing the projection optical system 12. The third reflecting surface 21c has a rectangular outline, and a mirror layer that is a total reflection mirror for reflecting the image light GL that has passed through the light incident surface IS and guiding it into the light guide B2 over the entire rectangular area. 25. The mirror layer 25 is formed by forming a film on the slope RS of the main body portion 20a of the light guide member 21 by vapor deposition of aluminum or the like. The third reflecting surface 21c is inclined with respect to the first optical axis AX1 or the XY plane of the projection optical system 12, for example, at an acute angle α = 25 ° to 27 °, and is incident from the light incident surface IS in the + Z direction as a whole. The image light GL that is directed is bent so as to be directed in the −X direction that is closer to the −Z direction as a whole, so that the image light GL is reliably coupled into the light guide portion B2.

  The light guide B2 has first and second reflecting surfaces 21a and 21b that totally reflect the image light bent by the light incident portion B1 as two planes that face each other and extend parallel to the XY plane. Yes. Here, it is assumed that the first reflecting surface 21a is on the back side or the viewer side close to the image forming apparatus 10, and the second reflecting surface 21b is on the front side or the outside side far from the image forming apparatus 10. In this case, the first reflecting surface 21a is a surface portion common to the above-described light incident surface IS and a light emitting surface OS described later. The first and second reflection surfaces 21a and 21b are total reflection surfaces using a difference in refractive index.

  The image light GL reflected by the third reflecting surface 21c of the light incident part B1 first enters the first reflecting surface 21a and is totally reflected. Next, the image light GL enters the second reflecting surface 21b and is totally reflected. Thereafter, by repeating this operation, the image light is guided to the leading light direction on the back side of the light guide device 20 as a whole, that is, to the −X side where the light emitting portion B3 is provided. In addition, since the 1st and 2nd reflective surfaces 21a and 21b are not provided with the reflective coating, the external light or the external light incident on the second reflective surface 21b from the external side passes through the light guide B2 with high transmittance. pass. In other words, the light guide B2 is a see-through type that allows the external image to be seen through.

  The light emission part B3 is a triangular prism-shaped part, and has a light emission surface OS that is a part of the first reflection surface 21a and a fourth reflection surface 21d that faces the light emission surface OS. The light exit surface OS is a flat surface on the back side for emitting the image light GL toward the observer's eye EY. The light exit surface OS is a part of the first reflecting surface 21a like the light incident surface IS. It extends perpendicular to the optical axis AX2. The fourth reflecting surface 21d is a rectangular flat surface, reflects the image light GL that has entered through the first and second reflecting surfaces 21a and 21b, emits the light to the outside of the light emitting part B3, and transmits the external light OL. The half mirror layer 28 is provided in a rectangular partial region disposed in the center of the fourth reflecting surface 21d. The half mirror layer 28 is a transflective film having light transmittance. The half mirror layer 28 is formed by depositing, for example, a metal reflective film or a dielectric multilayer film made of silver or the like on the inclined surface RR constituting the fourth reflective surface 21 d of the light guide member 21. The reflectance of the half mirror layer 28 with respect to the image light GL is set to be 10% or more and 50% or less in the assumed incident angle range of the image light GL from the viewpoint of facilitating observation of the external light OL by see-through.

  The fourth reflecting surface 21d is inclined with respect to the second optical axis AX2 or XY plane perpendicular to the first reflecting surface 21a, for example, at an acute angle α = 25 ° to 27 °, and is guided by the half mirror layer 28. The image light GL incident through the first and second reflecting surfaces 21a and 21b of the portion B2 is partially reflected and bent so as to be directed in the −Z direction as a whole, thereby allowing the light exit surface OS to pass therethrough.

  The light transmissive member 23 includes a main body portion 23s having the same refractive index as the main body portion 20a of the light guide member 21, and includes a first surface 23a, a second surface 23b, and a third surface 23c. The first and second surfaces 23a and 23b extend along the XY plane, like the first and second reflecting surfaces 21a and 21b. The third surface 23 c is inclined with respect to the XY plane, and is disposed in parallel to face the fourth reflecting surface 21 d of the light guide member 21. That is, the light transmission member 23 has a wedge-shaped member sandwiched between the second surface 23b and the third surface 23c. Similar to the light guide member 21, the light transmissive member 23 is formed of a resin material exhibiting high light transmittance in the visible region. The light transmissive member 23 has a main body portion 23s which is a block-like member integrally molded by injection molding.

  In the light transmission member 23, the first surface 23 a is disposed on the extended plane of the first reflecting surface 21 a provided on the light guide member 21, is on the back side close to the observer's eye EY, and the second surface 23 b is guided. It is arranged on the extended plane of the second reflecting surface 21b provided on the optical member 21, and is on the front side far from the observer's eye EY. The third surface 23c is a rectangular light transmission surface joined to the fourth reflection surface 21d of the light guide member 21 by an adhesive. The angle formed by the first surface 23a and the third surface 23c is equal to the angle ε formed by the second reflective surface 21b and the fourth reflective surface 21d of the light guide member 21, and the second surface 23b and the third surface 23c are the same. The angle formed by the surface 23c is equal to the angle β formed by the first reflecting surface 21a and the third reflecting surface 21c of the light guide member 21.

  The light transmission member 23 and the light guide member 21 constitute a see-through portion B4 at the joint portion between them and the vicinity thereof. That is, since the first and second surfaces 23a and 23b are not provided with a reflective coating such as a mirror layer, the external light OL is transmitted with a high transmittance in the same manner as the light guide B2 of the light guide member 21. The third surface 23c can also transmit the external light OL with a high transmittance. However, since the fourth reflecting surface 21d of the light guide member 21 includes the half mirror layer 28, the central region of the third surface 23c. The external light OL that passes through is attenuated. In other words, the observer observes the superimposed image light GL and the external light OL, and the light guide device 20 functions as a virtual image forming unit.

  Hereinafter, an example of a specific optical path of image light in the first display device 100A will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 shows only an optical system related to the determination of the optical path of the image light. The projection optical system 12 has three lenses L1, L2, and L3.

As shown in the figure, the image lights GL11 and GL12 from the first display point P1 on the right side of the liquid crystal display device 32 are totally reflected three times at the same first reflection angle γ1 on the first and second reflection surfaces 21a and 21b. , Enters the fourth reflecting surface 21d. The image lights GL11 and GL12 are reflected by the fourth reflection surface 21d at the same angle as the third reflection surface 21c, and are angled from the light emission surface OS to the second optical axis AX2 direction perpendicular to the light emission surface OS. It is emitted as a parallel light beam by theta ₁ slope.

The image lights GL21 and GL22 from the second display point P2 on the left side of the liquid crystal display device 32 are totally reflected a total of five times at the same second reflection angle γ2 on the first and second reflecting surfaces 21a and 21b, and the fourth reflecting surface. 21d is incident. The image lights GL21 and GL22 are reflected by the fourth reflecting surface 21d at the same angle as the third reflecting surface 21c, and are angled from the light emitting surface OS to the second optical axis AX2 direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface OS. It is emitted as a parallel light beam by theta ₂ gradient.

  Further, in FIG. 3, when the light guide member 21 is developed, the observer can project the projection optical system that exists in the vicinity of two different incident equivalent surfaces IS ′ and IS ″ corresponding to the light incident surface IS. That is, 12 lenses L3 are overlapped for observation.

  As described above, in order to achieve both the observation of the virtual image formed from the image light GL and the observation of the external light OL by see-through, the light amounts of both light fluxes must be balanced within a certain range. Is required. The size of the pupil of the observer changes due to the influence of the external light OL. For this reason, even if the light quantity of the image light GL is ensured to be constant, it may be difficult for the observer to perceive. Therefore, in order to maintain a state where the image light GL and the external light OL are well balanced even if the state of the external light OL changes, the state of the image light GL corresponds to the change of the external light OL. Need to be controlled. In the present embodiment, the light detection device 180 (see FIG. 1) is fixedly attached to the optical panel 110, that is, the light guide device 20, and is kept in a state of being aligned with the light guide device 20, so that the field of view is always maintained. The light amount of the external light OL is detected in front, that is, on the + Z side. Based on the detection result, the illumination device 31 (see FIG. 2A) is controlled to change the state of the external light OL. The amount of light of the corresponding image light GL can be controlled.

[D. (Detection of external light by photodetection device)
Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, detection of the external light OL by the light detection device 180 that is necessary as a premise for controlling the brightness of the image light GL corresponding to the brightness of the external light OL will be described.

  The light detection device 180 includes a photodiode portion 181 and a lens 182. In the illustrated example, the photodiode portion 181 is configured by nine photodiode elements 181a arranged in a 3 × 3 matrix in a plane parallel to the XY plane. That is, the photodiode unit 181 detects the state of the external light OL that is directed from the approximately −Z side toward the virtual image display device 100 in the nine divided regions. Each photodiode element 181a has a rectangular shape, and measures the amount of light projected by the lens 182 and entering the rectangular region. The lens 182 projects an external image onto the photodiode unit 181 and is disposed in front of the photodiode unit 181 (+ Z side) and has a focal point at infinity. The component of the external light OL directed to is incident on one of the plurality of photodiode elements 181a according to the direction thereof. Here, the projection by the lens 182 can be a projection in which the external image can be focused from a certain distance or more by focusing on infinity, but it is not necessarily the external environment on each photodiode element 181a. It is not necessary to focus the image, and it is only necessary that each photodiode element 181a can measure the amount of external light component from the target direction.

  The nine photodiode elements 181a are assigned numbers 1 to 9 for explanation, and the photodiode element 181a located at the center with the number 5 is located at the center coincident with the optical axis of the lens 182. It is assumed that it is arranged at a position. Here, the optical axis direction of the lens 182 is the Z direction, which coincides with the front direction for the observer.

  Among the components of the external light OL, for example, the external light component OLa from the area A on the center side in the optical axis direction of the lens 182 enters the fifth photodiode element 181a via the lens 182. Accordingly, the brightness of the external light component OLa is the output of the fifth photodiode element 181a. On the other hand, among the components of the external light OL, for example, the external light component OLb from the peripheral area B that is above the area A is incident on the eighth photodiode element 181a via the lens 182. Therefore, the brightness of the external light component OLb is the output of the eighth photodiode element 181a. As described above, in the light detection device 180, the average brightness of the external light OL corresponding to each azimuth of the target area is detected, and information regarding the external light can be obtained. The light detection device 180 converts the information about the amount of the external light component measured in the nine photodiode elements 181a into a signal, and transmits the signal to the control device 300 that controls the operation of the virtual image display device 100.

[E. Control of image light based on detection result of photodetection device)
Hereinafter, the control of the image light based on the detection result of the light detection device will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the control unit 311 included in the control device 300 of the virtual image display device 100 controls the light source via the drive control unit 34 based on the information related to external light detected by the light detection device 180 described above. (See FIG. 2A), the light quantity of the image light GL is controlled.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, the virtual image display device 100 includes a control unit 311, a storage unit 312, a key input processing unit 313, a key input unit 314, an image processing unit 315, and external light information as a control device 300. A detection unit 319.

  The control unit 311 controls the overall operation of the virtual image display device 100. That is, the control unit 311 is communicably connected to the storage unit 312, the key input processing unit 313, the image processing unit 315, the external light information detection unit 319, etc., and takes in information from these parts, or these parts The operation state is controlled by sending a control signal or the like. In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 311 adjusts the state of the image light by acquiring information from the light detection device 180 via the external light information detection unit 319 and controlling the light source based on this information. doing. As a function for this purpose, the control unit 311 includes a brightness reading unit 311a, an adjustment amount determination unit 311b, and the like, and functions as a light source control unit, that is, an image light control unit for image light adjustment based on the detection result of the light detection device. To do.

  The external light information detection unit 319 receives information regarding the brightness of external light detected by the light detection device 180 and transmitted as a signal, and transmits the information to the brightness reading unit 311a of the control unit 311.

  The storage unit 312 includes a ROM, a RAM, a nonvolatile memory, and the like, and holds programs, data, and the like necessary for operating the virtual image display device 100. Here, in particular, the storage unit 312 holds a program and control table data for selecting optimal light source control based on signal data regarding information regarding the external light OL read by the brightness reading unit 311a. Yes.

  The key input processing unit 313 is means for processing an observer's instruction input from the key input unit 314.

  The image processing unit 315 performs various correction processes including gradation correction and the like on an image signal or image data input from the outside via an input selection unit or a communication unit (not shown) to perform image processing. The subsequent image signal is output to a liquid crystal driving circuit 34b which is a liquid crystal panel driving unit for driving the liquid crystal panel.

  Hereinafter, an example of an image light control operation based on the detection result of the light detection apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5A is a diagram schematically showing an observation region of an observer, and FIG. 5B is a diagram schematically showing a rectangular backlight light guide unit 31b which is a backlight light source. . In FIG. 5A, a two-dot chain line area IM0 indicates a range of an external image recognized by the observer through the external light OL that has passed through the light guide device 20, and a dotted line area IM1 indicates that the observer uses the image light GL. It shall indicate the range of virtual images to be recognized. Furthermore, a region corresponding to the region IM1 in the region IM0 is defined as a one-dot chain line region IM2. That is, the region IM1 or the region IM2 is a region where the external light OL and the image light GL overlap. Here, it is assumed that the brightness of the external image in the region corresponding to the region IM1 in the region IM0 that is the range of the external image is detected by the photodetector 180 having the nine photodiode elements 181a shown in FIG. .

  Here, in the region IM1 and the region IM2, the divided regions 1c to 9c divided into nine correspond to the measurement regions targeted by the nine photodiode elements 181a in FIG. That is, for example, the divided region 5c located in the center of the region IM1 in FIG. 5A is a region of the external image observed by the external light OL from the area A in FIG. 4, and the brightness of this area is It is detected by the fifth photodiode element 181a. Similarly, the divided region 8c in FIG. 5A corresponds to the area B in FIG. 4 and is detected by the eighth photodiode element 181a. That is, the divided regions 1c to 9c correspond to the numbers 1 to 9 assigned to the photodiode elements 181a in FIG.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, the backlight light guide unit 31b that forms a light beam having a rectangular cross section is divided into nine parts corresponding to the divided areas 1c to 9c of the virtual image area IM2. It is assumed that the light emission areas 1a to 9a are provided and the light quantity can be adjusted for each of the light emission areas 1a to 9a. That is, by controlling the backlight light guide 31b, the amount of the image light GL changes partially (locally), and the virtual image formed in the region IM2 changes in brightness for each of the divided regions 1c to 9c. It has become something that can be made. In this case, the control unit 311 functions as a backlight control unit that controls the backlight light guide unit 31b, which is a backlight light source, via the liquid crystal drive circuit 34b. In the above case, for example, if the component light amount of the external light OL measured by the eighth photodiode element 181a is measured to be large, that is, bright, a virtual image of the divided region 8c is formed in the image light GL accordingly. The light amount of the component to be increased may be increased to make a bright image. That is, the control unit 311 increases the power supplied to the light emitting region 8a corresponding to the divided region 8c in accordance with the detection result from the eighth photodiode element 181a, thereby forming the virtual image formed in the divided region 8c. It can be brightened moderately.

  From the configuration described above, the state of the image light GL is changed to that of the external light OL by controlling the backlight light guide 31b, that is, the illumination device 31 including the backlight light source, according to the detection result of the light detection device 180. Control can be performed corresponding to changes in each direction.

  Hereinafter, an example of the image light control operation based on the detection result of the light detection device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the virtual image display device 100 is activated, the control unit 311 performs a process of initializing information regarding external light stored in the storage unit 312 (step S101). Next, the control unit 311 causes the external light information detection unit 319 to receive information regarding the brightness of the external light transmitted from the light detection device 180 (step S102), and the external light information as the brightness reading unit 311a. The information received by the detection unit 319 is read to confirm the situation for each direction of the external light OL (step S103). At this time, the control unit 311 stores the read information in the storage unit 312. Next, the control unit 311 determines whether the information acquired in step S103 has been changed from the previous information (step S104). That is, the information already stored in the storage unit 312 is compared with the information acquired in step S103. When information is acquired immediately after being initialized in step S101, it is determined in step S104 that the information has been changed. In step S104, when the control unit 311 determines that there is no information change (step S104: No), the control unit 311 determines that the operation of the control pattern that determines the adjustment amount of the light source is optimal, and changes this. Without any change, a series of operations for receiving the information on the brightness of the ambient light shown in steps S102 to S104 and judging the situation are repeated. On the other hand, when the control unit 311 determines that the information has changed in step S104 (step S104: Yes), the control unit 311 changes the state of the external light OL and adjusts the light source so that the image light GL corresponds to this. It is determined that it is necessary to reset the operation of the control pattern that defines the amount, and the adjustment amount determination unit 311b performs a plurality of controls that determine the adjustment amount of the light source corresponding to the information regarding the external light after the change from the storage unit 312. One pattern is selected and read from the table data indicating the pattern (step S105). Next, the control unit 311 transmits a control signal to the light source driving circuit 34a so as to perform control according to the new control pattern selected and read in step S105. In accordance with this control signal, the light source drive circuit 34a drives the illumination device 31 to perform light source control as described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, for example (step S106). The controller 311 repeats the light source control operation until the image forming operation by the virtual image display device 100 is completed (step S107). That is, the measurement result from the light detection device 180 is confirmed until the observer gives a command to end the image forming operation by the key input unit 314, and the corresponding image light is controlled (steps S101 to S106).

  As described above, in this embodiment, the light guide device 20 that is a virtual image forming unit is a see-through type that superimposes the image light GL and the external light OL, and the control unit 311 that is the image light control unit The detection device 180 detects the brightness of the external light OL in association with the azimuth, and controls the image light GL based on the information related to the detected brightness. Thus, the image light GL is controlled in accordance with the brightness of the external light GL from the direction in which the observer is facing, and the balance between the image brightness by the image light GL and the brightness of the external image by the external light OL is adjusted. Can be moderate. That is, the image light GL can be adjusted to an appropriate brightness according to the state of the external light OL.

  In the above description, the control unit 311 that is the image light control unit controls only the light amount of the illumination light SL as the control of the image light GL with respect to the external light OL, but in the control of the image light GL with respect to the external light OL. Furthermore, the liquid crystal display device 32 that is a spatial light modulator may be controlled. That is, it is also possible to perform local adjustment of the image light GL by adjusting the gradation level in the liquid crystal display device 32. In this case, the brightness can be adjusted in units of pixels.

  The light detection device 180 includes a photodiode unit 181 and a lens 182, but is not limited thereto. For example, various light detections other than photodiodes such as a photoresistor and a phototransistor are provided in the photodiode unit 181. It is also possible to apply a vessel.

  In the above description, the number of divisions is 9 (3 × 3). However, this division pattern is an example, and various other patterns can be used. For example, more photodiode elements may be arranged, and the area detected by each photodiode may be further refined. In the above description, the region in which the external light OL and the image light GL are overlapped with the range in which the light detection device 180 performs detection, but various detection ranges by the light detection device 180 are conceivable. For example, the entire range recognized by the observer as external light may be detected.

  Hereinafter, a specific modification will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 7A, the entire area IM0 is divided into 25 areas of 5 × 5, and each area is detected. In this case, the photodiode unit 181 of the light detection device 180 is configured by 5 × 5 total 25 photodiode elements 181a. Of the 25 divided areas of the area IM0, the central 9 × 3 divided areas correspond to the nine divided areas 1c to 9c constituting the virtual image area IM2. In this case, the brightness of the virtual image can be adjusted in consideration of not only the virtual image region IM2 but also the brightness of the surrounding external image. Further, as in another modification example shown in FIG. 7B, the division on the external image side and the division on the virtual image side may not exactly match. In the illustrated example, both the external image area IM0 and the virtual image area IM2 are divided into nine areas of 3 × 3, but in this case, the divided areas do not match due to the difference in the range. Even in such a case, for example, the area AA located in the center of the divided areas of the area IM0 is made to correspond to the divided area 5c of the area IM2, and the area located above the center of the divided areas of the area IM0 Brightness can be adjusted by controlling each area so that BB corresponds to the divided area 8c of the area IM2.

  In the above description, the division patterns on the light detection device 180 side and the backlight light guide unit 31b on the light source side are matched, but the division patterns do not have to match. Further, the backlight light guide unit 31b may be uniform without being divided, and the control unit 311 may adjust the total light amount. In this case, for example, it is conceivable that the light amount of the image light corresponds to the brightest external light among the results detected by the light detection device 180. Further, for example, image processing or the like may be appropriately performed so that the boundary of the divided area of the area IM2 is not noticeable or unevenness due to the light amount in the divided area does not occur.

In the above description, the adjustment amount in step S105 is determined by selecting one pattern from the table data prepared in advance, but the adjustment amount may be determined by other methods. For example, the adjustment amount may be weighted for nine areas, the weighted data may be collated with the data read in step S103, and the control pattern may be calculated each time.

  In the above, the control pattern is automatically performed by the control unit 311. However, it is assumed that the observer issues an appropriate command from the key input unit 314 and performs adjustment with a control pattern different from the control by the control unit 311. Also good.

[Second Embodiment]
The virtual image display device according to the second embodiment will be described below. The virtual image display device according to the present embodiment is a modification of the virtual image display device 100 according to the first embodiment, and further includes a visual line detection device for detecting the direction of the visual line of the observer. Except for this, since the external structure is the same as that of the virtual image display device 100, the entire illustration and description are omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 3 of the first embodiment, and is for explaining a state where the visual line detection device 400 is provided in the virtual image display device according to the present embodiment. As illustrated, the line-of-sight detection device 400 includes a beam splitter 410 and a near-infrared ray detection sensor 411. In the present embodiment, the near-infrared ray GLr is emitted while being superimposed on the image light GL on the illumination device side, and the near-infrared ray GLr reflected from the eyeball of the observer's eye EY is used as the line-of-sight detection device. By detecting with 400, the direction of the observer's line of sight is detected. In the present embodiment, the image light control unit controls the image light based on information regarding the brightness of external light in the direction of the line of sight of the observer obtained as a detection result of the line-of-sight detection device 400. Thereby, the state of the image light can be controlled according to the brightness of the external light in the direction of the line of sight of the observer.

  Hereinafter, the structure of the line-of-sight detection device 400 constituting the virtual image display device 100 will be described. First, in the line-of-sight detection device 400, the beam splitter 410 transmits light in the visible light region and a near-infrared light component in a specific polarization state (for example, P-polarization) and transmits a specific polarization state (for example, It has a characteristic of reflecting near-infrared light components existing in S-polarized light. The near-infrared ray detection sensor 411 is a detection sensor that detects a near-infrared ray, and is arranged so as to face the beam splitter 410 outside the optical path of the image light GL as shown in the figure, and is reflected by the beam splitter 410. The near-infrared light component branched by is detected.

  Hereinafter, the gaze detection operation using the gaze detection device 400 will be described. Here, it is assumed that the liquid crystal display device 32 emits each color light in the visible light region and P-polarized near-infrared ray GLr. That is, the beam splitter 410 transmits any component emitted from the liquid crystal display device 32 including the near infrared ray GLr.

  The near-infrared ray GLr that has passed through the beam splitter 410 enters the eyeball shown to the eye EY via the light guide device 20 and the like. At this time, the near-infrared ray GLr includes a corneal reflection light component reflected by the cornea on the eyeball surface of the eye EY and a retinal reflection light component reflected by the retina of the fundus of the eye EY. If these reflected light components can be captured, the direction of the line of sight can be detected. Specifically, first, since the corneal reflection light component has high brightness and the spot diameter is small, and the retinal reflection light component has low brightness and the spot diameter is large, it is possible to distinguish both. Furthermore, while the spot of the corneal reflection light component moves quickly with the movement of the line of sight, the retina is almost in the fundus and hardly moves. Therefore, the movement of the observer's eye EY, that is, the direction of the line of sight, can be detected by superimposing the reflection image of the moving cornea in the reflection image of the almost stationary retina.

  Since the near-infrared ray GLr emitted from the liquid crystal display device 32 is P-polarized light, it passes through the beam splitter 410, whereas the near-infrared ray GLr is a component that is reflected by the eye EY and reverses the optical path. The reflected light beam RLr includes an S-polarized component. Accordingly, a part of the reflected light component of the reflected light beam RLr is reflected by the beam splitter 410. Therefore, by detecting the reflected light component in the near-infrared ray detection sensor 411, the line-of-sight detection device 400 detects the direction of the observer's line of sight.

  Hereinafter, the control of the image light based on the detection results of the light detection device and the line-of-sight detection device will be described with reference to FIG. 9 and the like. In the present embodiment, the light amount of the image light GL by the control unit 311 is based on the information on the direction of the line of sight of the observer detected by the line-of-sight detection device 400 in addition to the information on the external light detected by the light detection device 180. Be controlled. Therefore, the control unit 311 includes a line-of-sight information reading unit 311c that reads information on the direction of the line of sight detected by the line-of-sight detection device 400, in addition to the brightness reading unit 311a and the adjustment amount determination unit 311b. Information regarding the direction of the line of sight detected by the line-of-sight detection device 400 is transmitted from the line-of-sight sensor 410 to the line-of-sight information detection unit 330 of the control device 300 and transmitted to the control unit 311.

  Hereinafter, an example of the image light control operation based on the detection results of the light detection device and the line-of-sight detection device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the virtual image display device 100 is activated, the control unit 311 performs processing for initializing information on the brightness of the external light and the direction of the line of sight (step S201), reads the information on the brightness of the external light, and reads the external environment. The status for each direction of the light OL is confirmed (steps S102 and S103). Further, the control unit 311 receives information on the direction of the line of sight transmitted from the line-of-sight sensor 410 via the line-of-sight information detection unit 330, that is, the measurement result of the line-of-sight detection device 400 (step S202). The situation is confirmed (step S203). Note that the control unit 311 stores the read information in the storage unit 312. Next, the control unit 311 determines whether the information acquired in step S103 and step S203 has been changed from the previous information (step S204). That is, the information already stored in the storage unit 312 is compared with the information acquired in step S103 and step S203, and if the control unit 311 determines that there is no information change in both (step S204: No), the adjustment of the light source A series of operations shown in steps S102 to S204 are repeated while maintaining the control pattern with the amount unchanged. On the other hand, when the control unit 311 determines that at least one of the information acquired in step S103 and step S203 has changed in step S204 (step S204: Yes), the adjustment amount determination unit 311b performs a plurality of controls. One control pattern is selected and read from the pattern (step S105), a control signal is transmitted to the light source drive circuit 34a to perform control according to the control pattern, and light source control is performed in accordance with this control signal (step S106). . The controller 311 repeats the light source control operation until the image forming operation by the virtual image display device 100 is completed (step S107).

  In the above case, the image light GL based on the information regarding the brightness of the external light OL in the direction of the line of sight of the observer's eye EY obtained as a detection result of the line-of-sight detection device 400 by selecting the control pattern by the adjustment amount determination unit 311b. Can be controlled. For example, from the detection result of the line-of-sight detection device 400, when the observer's line of sight is directed in the direction corresponding to the central divided area 5c among the nine divided areas shown in FIG. The brightness adjustment of the divided area 5c in the virtual image range IM2 by GL may be adjusted with priority over other areas. In this case, for example, not only the brightness of the divided area 5c is adjusted according to the brightness detected by the fifth photodiode element 181a, but also the divided areas adjacent to the left and right of the divided area 5c are set in the divided area 5c. You may adjust so that it may become brightness.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the amount of image light is controlled based on information on the line of sight, such as the direction of the observer's line of sight and changes in the direction, in addition to information on external light. As a result, the image light can be adjusted in accordance with the state of the external light having a greater influence on the observer.

[Third Embodiment]
The virtual image display device according to the third embodiment will be described below. The virtual image display device according to the present embodiment is a modification of the virtual image display device according to the second embodiment, and is the same as the virtual image display device according to the second embodiment except for the configuration of the light detection device 180. Therefore, the entire illustration and description are omitted.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 9 of the second embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining the light detection device 180 in the virtual image display device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the drawing, in the light detection device 180, the lens 182 that projects an external image by the external light OL is a surface perpendicular to the front Z direction by a lens driving circuit 182a connected to the control unit 311. Translational movement is possible in the inner plane, that is, in the plane parallel to the XY plane. As a result, the light detection device 180 changes the range in which the light detection device 180 detects the brightness based on the information regarding the line of sight such as the direction of the line of sight of the observer and the change in the direction detected by the line of sight detection device 400. It has become a thing. Specifically, first, when the control unit 311 acquires information from the line-of-sight sensor 410 of the line-of-sight detection device 400 via the line-of-sight information detection unit 330, the lens 182 should be moved so as to correspond to the direction of the line of sight. The driving signal is transmitted to the lens driving circuit 182a. That is, the component of the external light OL corresponding to the direction of the line of sight of the observer is detected by the fifth photodiode element 181a located in the middle of the nine photodiode elements 181a constituting the light detection device 180. The lens 182 is shifted. As a result, the nine photodiode elements 181a can capture the direction of the observer's line of sight and the state of the external light OL regarding the periphery thereof.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the light amount of the external light is detected after changing the range in which the light detection device 180 detects the brightness based on the information regarding the line of sight of the observer. Thereby, it is possible to control the image light with higher priority on the observer's line of sight.

[Fourth Embodiment]
The virtual image display device according to the fourth embodiment will be described below. Note that the virtual image display device according to the present embodiment is a modification of the virtual image display device 100 according to the first embodiment, and thus the entire illustration and description thereof are omitted.

  FIG. 12A is a diagram schematically illustrating the state of the light detection device 180 as viewed from the front. In the first embodiment and the like, each photodiode element 181a is assumed to have a rectangular shape, but there are various modes for the shape of the photodiode element 181a and the region to be detected. It may be. Also, as shown in FIG. 12B, the area is not made equal in size, for example, the central area is made larger than the other areas, and the influence of the middle area is also affected in adjusting the amount of image light. It may be preferentially handled. Note that FIGS. 12A and 12B are only examples, and various other divided pattern modes are conceivable. For example, the divided areas may be concentrically divided from the center. .

[Fifth Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the virtual image display apparatus according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, an example of the structure of the virtual image display device 200 will be described by describing an example of the structure of the first display device 200A in the virtual image display device 200 according to the present embodiment. The first display device 200A forms a signal light and emits the signal light as the scanning light TL, and a light emitting device 210 that receives the scanning light TL from the light emitting device 210 and forms the image light GL. The irradiation member 220 is provided. The light emitting device 210 is arranged around the nose NS of the observer, has a signal light forming unit 211, and a scanning optical system 212. The irradiated member 220 is on the front side (+ Z side) of the light emitting device 210. It arrange | positions so that the front of observer's eyes EY may be covered.

  The irradiated member 220 includes a semi-transmissive reflective film that is an irradiated film (semi-transmissive film) that is irradiated with scanning light, and a support member that supports and fixes the semi-transmissive reflective film. That is, the irradiated member 220 is a half mirror. Thereby, not only a virtual image but also light from the outside enters the observer's eye EY, and the virtual image display device 200 has a see-through configuration in which both can be observed. That is, the irradiated member 220 is a virtual image forming unit.

  As shown in the figure, the irradiated member 220 is disposed in front of the eye EY of the observer and positioned farther to the observer (+ Z side) than the light emitting device 210. That is, the light emitting device 210 is arranged between the observer's eye EY and the irradiated member 220.

  The irradiated member 220 has a size large enough to cover the observer's eye EY from the front, and receives the scanning light TL irradiated from the scanning optical system 212 of the light emitting device 210 in a + Z direction. By reflecting this, a virtual image is formed so that the observer can recognize it. In addition, the shape of the irradiated member 220 has a shape along the appearance of the virtual image display device 100, that is, the shape of the frame FL.

  Hereinafter, an image forming operation will be described. First, in the light emitting device 210, the signal light forming unit 211 forms and emits signal light. The emitted signal light enters a scanning optical system 212 that is a scanning unit. The scanning optical system 212 emits signal light toward the irradiated member 220 as scanning light. In the irradiated member 220, the signal light is scanned and incident as a scanning light, whereby a virtual image is formed by the image light GL, and the image is recognized when the observer catches the virtual image with the eyes EY.

  Also in the virtual image display device 200 having the configuration as in the present embodiment, by providing the light detection device 180, the brightness of the external light GL from the direction in which the observer faces is the same as in the first embodiment and the like. Correspondingly, the image light GL is controlled, and the balance between the brightness of the image by the image light GL and the brightness of the external image by the external light OL can be made appropriate. That is, the image light GL can be adjusted to an appropriate brightness according to the state of the external light OL.

  In the above description, a diode laser light source or an LED light source is used as the light source. However, the light source may be other than the above, such as an organic EL.

[Others]
Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. Such modifications are also possible.

  In the above description, it is assumed that the light detection device 180 is fixedly attached to the optical panel 110 or the like, that is, the central portion on the upper side of the light guide device 20. However, if light detection within a necessary range is possible, light detection is performed. The fixing position of the device 180 may be a place other than this. In addition, the light detection device 180 may not be fixedly attached to the optical panel 110 or the like as long as the orientation of the light guide device 20 can be grasped and the brightness in the target direction can be detected.

  In the third embodiment and the like, the information regarding the line of sight may be acquired for each line of sight, or may be acquired for at least one line of sight.

  In the second embodiment and the like, a part or all of the line-of-sight detection device 400 may be configured integrally with the image display device 11.

  In the above description, the virtual image display device 100 has been specifically described as being a head-mounted display, but the virtual image display device 100 can be modified to a head-up display.

  In the virtual image display device 100 of the above embodiment, a pair of display devices is provided corresponding to both the right eye and the left eye. For example, image formation is performed only for either the right eye or the left eye. The apparatus 10 and the light guide device 20 may be provided to view the image with one eye.

  In addition, when the display device is provided for both the right eye and the left eye, the position of both eyes can be adjusted to a suitable state in consideration of the convergence angle and binocular parallax in the observation of the 3D image.

  In the above embodiment, the first optical axis AX1 passing through the light incident surface IS and the second optical axis AX2 passing through the light incident surface IS are parallel, but these optical axes AX1 and AX2 are made non-parallel. You can also.

  In the above embodiment, the see-through is given priority by setting the reflectance of the half mirror layer 28 provided on the fourth reflecting surface 21d of the light guide member 21 to 50% or less. However, the reflectance of the half mirror layer 28 is set to 50% or more. Priority can also be given to image light.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image forming apparatus, 11 ... Image display apparatus, 12 ... Projection optical system, 20 ... Light guide apparatus (virtual image formation part), 20a ... Main-body part, 21 ... Light guide member, 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d ... 1st -4th reflective surface, 23 ... light transmissive member, 23s ... main body part, 23a ... 1st surface, 23b ... 2nd surface, 25 ... mirror layer, 28 ... half mirror layer (semi-transmissive reflective film), 180 ... light detection Device, 181 ... Photodiode unit, 182 ... Lens, 181a ... Photodiode element, 100, 200 ... Virtual image display device, 100A ... Display device (virtual image forming unit), 300 ... Control device, 311 ... Control unit (image light control unit) , Backlight control unit), 311a ... reading unit, 311b ... adjustment amount determining unit, 311c ... gaze information reading unit, 400 ... gaze detection device, 410 ... bi Msplitter, 411 ... near infrared ray detection sensor, 312 ... storage unit, 315 ... image processing unit, 319 ... external light information detection unit, 210 ... light emitting device, 211 ... signal light forming unit, 212 ... scanning optical system, AX, AX1, AX2 ... optical axis, B1 ... light incident part, B2 ... light guide part, B3 ... light emission part, B4 ... see-through part, EY ... eye, GL, GL1, GL2 ... image light, OL ... external light, IS ... light incident surface, OS ... light exit surface, SL ... illumination light

Claims (10)

A virtual image forming unit that transmits external light and forms a virtual image by image light;
A light detection device that detects the brightness of the external light in association with the direction according to the orientation of the virtual image forming unit;
An image light control unit that controls the image light based on information on brightness detected by the light detection device;
Equipped with a,
The image light control unit, Ru partially changed for each area of the divided light amount of the image light corresponding to the irradiated region on the virtual image formation unit, the virtual image display device. The virtual image display device according to claim 1, wherein the image light control unit is a backlight control unit that controls a backlight light source that generates illumination light to be the image light. It further comprises a gaze detection device that detects the direction of the gaze of the observer,
The image light control unit controls the image light based on the information about the brightness of the external light in the direction of the visual axis detection resulting observer of the visual line detection device, of claims 1 and 2 The virtual image display device according to any one of the above. The line-of-sight detection device includes a beam splitter that branches off a component that is reflected by an observer's eye and reverses the optical path of the image light from the near-infrared ray that is emitted while being superimposed on the image light. The virtual image display device according to claim 3 , further comprising: a near-infrared ray detection sensor that detects the near-infrared ray branched by the beam splitter. The light detecting device, on the basis of the information about the visual axis of the detected observer visual line detection device changes the range for detecting the brightness of the virtual image display as claimed in any one of claims 3 and 4 apparatus. A virtual image forming unit that transmits external light and forms a virtual image by image light;
A light detection device that detects the brightness of the external light in association with the direction according to the orientation of the virtual image forming unit;
An image light control unit that controls the image light based on information on brightness detected by the light detection device;
With
It further comprises a gaze detection device that detects the direction of the gaze of the observer,
The said image light control part is a virtual image display apparatus which controls the said image light based on the information regarding the brightness of the said external light in the direction of an observer's gaze obtained as a detection result of the said gaze detection apparatus. The line-of-sight detection device includes a beam splitter that branches off a component that is reflected by an observer's eye and reverses the optical path of the image light from the near-infrared ray that is emitted while being superimposed on the image light. The virtual image display device according to claim 6, further comprising: a near-infrared ray detection sensor that detects the near-infrared ray branched by the beam splitter. The virtual image display according to any one of claims 6 and 7, wherein the light detection device changes a range in which brightness is detected based on information on the line of sight of an observer detected by the line-of-sight detection device. Equipment . The said photon detection apparatus has a photodiode part which detects the light quantity of the said external light, and the lens which projects the image by the said external light toward the said photodiode part, The any one of Claim 1-8 The virtual image display device according to one item. In the photodetection device, the photodiode unit is configured to include a plurality of photodiode elements arranged in a two-dimensional manner, and the outside light detection region is divided into a plurality corresponding to the arrangement of the photodiode elements. The virtual image display device according to claim 9 , which is divided.

Images